Empowering criminality
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- Category: Philosofaith
- Written by M. U. Ndagi
- Hits: 653
The spate of violent attacks on men of the Nigerian police in recent times is giving many Nigerians some concern. More worrisome indeed is the way political thugs and organized ethnic or religious syndicates orchestrate their villainous acts so brazenly and publicly without being prosecuted or even apprehended in the least.
We have read stories in the past about the burning down of police stations by miscreants and the killing of policemen by unidentified gunmen. Today in Nigeria, a policeman whose essential duty is to ensure security of lives and property is himself threatened by insecurity.A recent case in point is that which actually informed the title of this piece. It involved a mobile policeman attached to Governor Mahmud Shinkafi of Zamfara State. The story carried by Daily Trust edition of Wednesday February 16, 2011 reveals that the mobile policeman was lying critically ill at the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Gusau, following machete cuts he received from political thugs at the governor’s house while money was being shared to the thugs who escorted the governor to a political rally. The sharing of money to thugs whose focal activity at political rallies is more violent than imagined is equal in effect to an empowerment of criminality. The use of thugs by a constituted authority for whatever political reason is no less a criminal act. Infact, thugs have become so empowered and thus powerful in this country that they could disrupt court proceedings without the perpetrators or their sponsors being arrested.
Criminality is further empowered by constituted authorities in their preference for using youths in official matters that border on security, which should strictly be a state affair. This act does not only jettison the functions of the police but also gives some truth to the hypothesis that those who by law are required to use the police but instead choose to employ the services of illegal security operatives, essentially thugs, do so because they derive certain political benefits from such actions. This is perhaps why some of our leaders have refused to tackle poverty and unemployment so that they may continue to manipulate Nigerian youths who readily provide thuggery services for their self-centered motives. The strange taking-over of security operations by President Jonathan’s guards (Mopol 24) at the liberation stadium in Port Harcourt during the recent Presidential campaign rally that resulted in a stampede from which lives were lost, similarly raises questions about the confidence of government in the Nigeria police.
The history of thuggery and its consequential effects on security of lives and property in the past twelve years of civil rule in Nigeria reveals that thugs have in many cases turned their financiers into enemies. We do not require any social scientist to tell us that the honey moon between thugs and their sponsors only last for the period the funds keep flowing or when the resources to sustain the relationship cease forthwith. Even on the international scene, the story is not quite different. Late Saddam Hussein was used as an ideological goon and dumped by the United States of America (USA) in the latter’s acrimony against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Saddam later became America’s worst enemy when the services of the former were no longer relevant.
Nigerian lawmakers also contribute to empowering criminality by their refusal to enact laws against situations that encourage corruption, oppression, injustice and indecency. If this is untrue, why did they fail to expunge the immunity clause from the constitution in the last amendment of the document? Why have they not passed the bill that seeks to regulate the use of siren? Why have they not passed the Freedom of Information bill (FOI)? Why was the bill introduced in 2008 by Senator Ufot Ekaete, which sought to prohibit indecent dressing killed prematurely?
We advice Nigerian leaders and those in positions of authority to heed Allah’s call in Qur’an 5:2 “…But help ye not one another in sin and rancor: fear Allah: for Allah is strict in punishment”. May Allah (SWT) guide us against doing or saying anything that will empower, promote, sustain or justify criminality, amin.
Re: Borrowing from the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah
We publish below some of the reactions received from readers on the above subject matter, which was the title of last week’s piece that featured in this column:
“There is no correlation between the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and the ACN/CPC’s alliance. While the former is aimed for [sic] seeking Allah’s pleasures, the latter is for worldly gains. Take note please”. (08072312243)
“Ndagi, Slams! I find your analysis on the Hudaybiyyah treaty and the failure of accord between two political parties of Nigeria very demeaning of Islam. Firstly, the grand motive and fundamentals [sic] of the personalities of Hudaybiyyah and Nigerian Politicians are not the same. Secondly, it is an anathema to give any mundane political arrangement whose persuasion had nothing to do with entrenching Allah’s system on earth or any religious stature as your article sought to do. There’s just no basis for comparison. If we cannot as Muslims stand up to establish Allah’s Daulah on earth, we should please stop clutching straws by going any shenanigan arrangement on earth a Rasul’s coloration”. (08030616399)
“Mal. Ndagi, Assalamu Alaykum. It is very sad that ACN and CPC do not see what you have seen or known. Besides, do these leaders know much about Islamic History or the [sic] Islam itself? PDP’s misrule is certain because no political party can beat the PSP if they didn’t [sic] align. Ya rage na su. Poverty, ignorance and illiteracy among the poor in the north, and greed as exemplified by Northern politicians, the hatred of the entire leadership of the North by the Southerners, and putting a united front against us indicate that it will be a long way to defeat any southern candidate even in the future. It is a thing of worry. Bisalam”. (08035801040)
“HUDAYBIYYAH? People of that time are [sic] doing things for Allah’s sake (the Muslims). While most of today’s politicians are selfish and mischief [sic]. I even don’t feel they should be compared”. Ismail, Gombe (08029489099)
“May Allah reward abundantly on the topic;”Borrowing from the treaty of Hudaybiyyah”. I believe in all you said and I wondered why opposition leaders cannot see the eminent [sic] danger should they fail to have that alliance. I will never forgive Buhari and Asiwaju if they do not hear and accept our call for them to come in to alliance for the purpose of chasing those PDP criminals out of power”. (Isa Ayuba 08033320703)
Articles
Empowering criminality
Category: Philosofaith Written by M. U. Ndagi Hits: 653
The spate of violent attacks on men of the Nigerian police in recent times is giving many Nigerians some concern. More worrisome indeed is the way political thugs and organized ethnic or religious syndicates orchestrate their villainous acts so brazenly and publicly without being prosecuted or even apprehended in the least.
We have read stories in the past about the burning down of police stations by miscreants and the killing of policemen by unidentified gunmen. Today in Nigeria, a policeman whose essential duty is to ensure security of lives and property is himself threatened by insecurity.A recent case in point is that which actually informed the title of this piece. It involved a mobile policeman attached to Governor Mahmud Shinkafi of Zamfara State. The story carried by Daily Trust edition of Wednesday February 16, 2011 reveals that the mobile policeman was lying critically ill at the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Gusau, following machete cuts he received from political thugs at the governor’s house while money was being shared to the thugs who escorted the governor to a political rally. The sharing of money to thugs whose focal activity at political rallies is more violent than imagined is equal in effect to an empowerment of criminality. The use of thugs by a constituted authority for whatever political reason is no less a criminal act. Infact, thugs have become so empowered and thus powerful in this country that they could disrupt court proceedings without the perpetrators or their sponsors being arrested.
Criminality is further empowered by constituted authorities in their preference for using youths in official matters that border on security, which should strictly be a state affair. This act does not only jettison the functions of the police but also gives some truth to the hypothesis that those who by law are required to use the police but instead choose to employ the services of illegal security operatives, essentially thugs, do so because they derive certain political benefits from such actions. This is perhaps why some of our leaders have refused to tackle poverty and unemployment so that they may continue to manipulate Nigerian youths who readily provide thuggery services for their self-centered motives. The strange taking-over of security operations by President Jonathan’s guards (Mopol 24) at the liberation stadium in Port Harcourt during the recent Presidential campaign rally that resulted in a stampede from which lives were lost, similarly raises questions about the confidence of government in the Nigeria police.
The history of thuggery and its consequential effects on security of lives and property in the past twelve years of civil rule in Nigeria reveals that thugs have in many cases turned their financiers into enemies. We do not require any social scientist to tell us that the honey moon between thugs and their sponsors only last for the period the funds keep flowing or when the resources to sustain the relationship cease forthwith. Even on the international scene, the story is not quite different. Late Saddam Hussein was used as an ideological goon and dumped by the United States of America (USA) in the latter’s acrimony against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Saddam later became America’s worst enemy when the services of the former were no longer relevant.
Nigerian lawmakers also contribute to empowering criminality by their refusal to enact laws against situations that encourage corruption, oppression, injustice and indecency. If this is untrue, why did they fail to expunge the immunity clause from the constitution in the last amendment of the document? Why have they not passed the bill that seeks to regulate the use of siren? Why have they not passed the Freedom of Information bill (FOI)? Why was the bill introduced in 2008 by Senator Ufot Ekaete, which sought to prohibit indecent dressing killed prematurely?
We advice Nigerian leaders and those in positions of authority to heed Allah’s call in Qur’an 5:2 “…But help ye not one another in sin and rancor: fear Allah: for Allah is strict in punishment”. May Allah (SWT) guide us against doing or saying anything that will empower, promote, sustain or justify criminality, amin.
Re: Borrowing from the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah
We publish below some of the reactions received from readers on the above subject matter, which was the title of last week’s piece that featured in this column:
“There is no correlation between the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and the ACN/CPC’s alliance. While the former is aimed for [sic] seeking Allah’s pleasures, the latter is for worldly gains. Take note please”. (08072312243)
“Ndagi, Slams! I find your analysis on the Hudaybiyyah treaty and the failure of accord between two political parties of Nigeria very demeaning of Islam. Firstly, the grand motive and fundamentals [sic] of the personalities of Hudaybiyyah and Nigerian Politicians are not the same. Secondly, it is an anathema to give any mundane political arrangement whose persuasion had nothing to do with entrenching Allah’s system on earth or any religious stature as your article sought to do. There’s just no basis for comparison. If we cannot as Muslims stand up to establish Allah’s Daulah on earth, we should please stop clutching straws by going any shenanigan arrangement on earth a Rasul’s coloration”. (08030616399)
“Mal. Ndagi, Assalamu Alaykum. It is very sad that ACN and CPC do not see what you have seen or known. Besides, do these leaders know much about Islamic History or the [sic] Islam itself? PDP’s misrule is certain because no political party can beat the PSP if they didn’t [sic] align. Ya rage na su. Poverty, ignorance and illiteracy among the poor in the north, and greed as exemplified by Northern politicians, the hatred of the entire leadership of the North by the Southerners, and putting a united front against us indicate that it will be a long way to defeat any southern candidate even in the future. It is a thing of worry. Bisalam”. (08035801040)
“HUDAYBIYYAH? People of that time are [sic] doing things for Allah’s sake (the Muslims). While most of today’s politicians are selfish and mischief [sic]. I even don’t feel they should be compared”. Ismail, Gombe (08029489099)
“May Allah reward abundantly on the topic;”Borrowing from the treaty of Hudaybiyyah”. I believe in all you said and I wondered why opposition leaders cannot see the eminent [sic] danger should they fail to have that alliance. I will never forgive Buhari and Asiwaju if they do not hear and accept our call for them to come in to alliance for the purpose of chasing those PDP criminals out of power”. (Isa Ayuba 08033320703)